Fire extinguisher carrier



12, 1952 c. K. HUTHSING 2,606,701

FIRE EXTINGUISHER CARRIER Filed Jan. 30, 1950 2 suEETs-snEET 1 I; 12 1; V17 16 2 a4 200 31 if g'j INVENTOR. C/KIIMSKAT/VSIIVG d er-22y 12, 1952 c. K. HUTHSING 2,606,701

- FIRE EXTINGUISHER CARRIER Filed Jan. 30, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 IN V EN TOR. 0/40455 KMMs/A/G wmzgiw Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE EXTINGUISHER CARRIER Charles K. Huthsing, Beverly Hills, Calif. Application January 30, 1950, Serial No. 141,339 2 Claims. (c1.224--) This invention relates to an improved body shield for a fire extinguisher tank of the type hung on the person by a harness and frequently used for fighting brush fires.

Portable tanks and hand pumps for fighting brush fires or the like have been used for a considerable time. They are often supported by means of a shoulder harness so that the tank containing Water or other fire extinguishing fluid rests against the back of the user. The heat from the fire causes the users back to perspire freely with the result that discomfort and painful chafing frequently occur.

Some fire extinguishers of the type mentioned above are originally constructedwith back shields which afford ventilationbetween the back of the tank and the wearer, the shield being spaced from the wall of the tank and perforated.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a body shield for maintaining the fire extinguisher tank in spaced relation to the body of the user so that circulation of air between the tank and the user is permitted, and wherein the body shield is constructed as a separate unit which can be quickly and conveniently mounted on a fire extinguisher tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a body shield which can be readily mounted upon a fire extinguisher tank of conventional construction and not originally intended to be provided with such a shield.

A further object of the invention is to provide a body shield with a spaced ventilated panel with attachment means in the form of a laterally disposed loop which is adaptable for use with tanks of difierent shapes and/or sizes.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fire extinguisher mounted on the back of the user and in actual use;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the extinguisher with portions broken away to show structural details;

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the harness and a portion of the top edge of the tank broken away;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the shield unit;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line VV of Fig. 4.; and

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the shield.

In Fig. 2 there is shown an extinguisher includinga water tank In having a screened inlet II for filling and a removable closure I2 provided with a bail I3. Connected to the bottom of the tank I0 is a flexible hose I4 having a conventional reciprocating pump assembly I5 connected thereto. On the outer end of the pump assembly I5 is a nozzle I6. The pump and nozzle assemblies I5 and I6 are of conventional construction well known in the art and their details are not essential to the present invention.

Extending above the top I! of the tank III is a bail I8 whose upper horizontal portion I9 is trough shaped, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, to provide a support for the pump I5 when the apparatus is carried by hand and not in use. I

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, there is shown a body shield panel 20 which may be formed from sheet metal, pressed fiber or a suitable plastic. The shield panel 20 is provided with an outwardly bulged portion 2| to fit the small of the back and which is provided with a plurality oi. ventilating apertures 22. Similar ventilating apertures 23 are formed in the shield panel 20.

As shown in Fig. 5, the upper and lower edges of the shield panel 20 are offset laterally inwardly as indicated at 24 and 25. Secured to each of these inwardly offset edges are tank embracing loop sections 26 and 21. These loop sections extend across their respective offset portions 24 and 25 and thence inwardly in spaced relation to each other and relative to the inner side of the panel 20. Cooperating with the loop sections 26 and 21 are tie members or loop sections 2-8 and 29 which are roughly of U shape. The adjacent ends of the pairs of loop sections just referred to are bent Qutwardly as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, and provided with apertures 30 to receive nutted tie bolts 3|. The lower loop section 21 has small outwardly bent apertured ears 32 which serve as means for anchoring shoulder harness straps 33 by means of which the device is supported on the body of the user.

The body shield 20 with its loop sections 25 through 29 can be very readily attached to a tank such as the fire extinguisher tank I0. The tank encircling loops are preferably made in two sections as shown and described, but, of course, they could conceivably be split at only one place and slipped around the tank and still efiectively satisfy the requirement of convenient mountability. When the strap sections are tightened around the tank they can conveniently lie within the upper and lower tank beads 34 and 35 so that the tank cannot slip through the loops unless the described in connection with a tank which is-- roughly rectangular in horizontal section.

It should be noted that the bulge zl in th'e shield 20 is roughly pear-shaped to fit the-small 15 of the back and across the rear 'kidney"por'tiori' of the back. This shape has b'eeir found toadd" to the comfort of the user and to lessen back fatigue.

It is preferred that the straps or loop sections 26 thfoi1'gh -2il arid primarily thesections'28 and 3 29 l'ae'solnewhatductileso that they can be readily adaptable' to water tanks which may varyin' shape andyor s'izef It is entirely possible to clamp the device shown in Figs; 4 through 6 to a tank which is 'ovalorrectangular 'in' horizontal section and still 'secure it firmly. Further, the tank need not haVe a-concave-outer side asillustrated, but may beflat:

It will, of course,-be' understood that various changesmay be made in the form,- detai1s,*ar-

rangementand proportions -of the various parts withoutdeparting-fromthescope of my invention I claim 1. In a venti'lated'body shi'eld for anoperatorcarried: fire extinguisher, a panelhaving-an outward bulge with apertures therein, said panel having an inwardly offset portion, laterally spaced arms extending inwardly from said inwardly offset portions, and a tie member spanning the ends of said arms remote from said panel and having an end. adjustably connected to the end of at least one of said arms, said tie member forming a loop with said arms, and said adjustably connected end of said tie member-constitutingmeans for constricting said loop.

2. In a ventilated body shield for an operatoroarried fire, extinguisher tank, a body contacting member comprising a panel of sheet metal having anapertured and outwardly bulged major area, a-tank engaging portion offset from the outwardly bulged 'portion and in the opposite direction from the bulge, whereby the bulged area .will be held in spaced relation to a tank conta'cted'by the tank engaging portion, and a loop-lik shield attachment element extending from" the taifleng'a'ging portion in the opposite dirctionfroin said bulged panel area to encircle par'tbf an extiliguish'e'r tank;

CHARLES K.LHUTHSING. I

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 'of record in the fileof this patent: 

